Looks like Tennessee takes the whole show this week. Both with the same issue but different approaches.

First up is David Nash and family in Dickson Tennessee. He is preparing for a major earthquake along the New Madrid Fault Line. David is one of those guys who can make most anything out of well…. most anything. It seems being on a limited budget has left them one alternative for prepping, making most things they need.
He makes his own bleach from salt and water with a device he made that charges the water and through repeated treatments, makes the bleach. This would be a Salt Water Chlorine Generator. Commercial units are available but they start at over $600 bucks, making them to expensive for most folks. The other item he created was a Steam Engine from an old weed-eater to drive an alternator creating power. Just adding a shaft to the weed-eater, driving that with steam created by pressure cooker and then to the alternator. Steam may make a comeback yet.

His last prep was to build a geodesic dome in their yard to resemble the rocks they have around the countryside. The dome, made from EMT, plastic cover, welded wire fence, hardware cloth and then concrete. The concrete what shot on the metal framework as they do with pools. Then an artistic paint job to make it finally look like a rock. It has a door so it’s not entirely a rock but he feels this will stand up after the earthquake when the house may not. The final test comes when he puts 5lbs of Tannerite next to it, stuffs his dad inside to test the walls and detonates it. His dad is fine and comes out unscathed.

The GOOD and the BAD:

The GOOD:

• I think David could build just about anything
• Food storage was cans on a cardboard rotation rack
• Alternate shelter if they house is compromised
• Some defensive firearms

The BAD:

• More food stored, much more
• Water storage looked minimal at best so lots more
• Dome was just a dome with no floor. It needs much more to be usable
• Communications with outside world after event
• Energy Production

LESSONS LEARNED:

• David is living proof that there are folks that can build anything. Give him a toilet seat, paper clips and super bowl tickets and you WILL be on the jumbtron!
• We need to always remember to stick to the basics of life and the rule of 3’s. Air, Shelter, Water and Food, in that order. Defense and communications are next on the plan. He is planning on staying put, so let’s make THAT place rock!
• This fault line is probably due, most in the USA are that as well. So do we prep for that event that happens every 100 years, or the event that is more probable. The fault is possible and less probable. If they are ready for a short term power outage, major weather or trucker strike, they are ready for most anything.
• I know their budget is small, but even some solar, wind and batteries to keep them powered up. Maybe getting used panels and fixing them.

Next up is David Mays and family near Jackson Tennessee. He is preparing for a Major Earthquake along the New Madrid Fault line causing liquefaction of the soils. David is very, very tech savvy. Knowing this, you would expect his preps to follow along this line, and they do. But he has also done the basics with Chickens and tower gardens. Has 4 months of food and a water catchment system. Firearms and ammo are in order along with a small trailer if they have to bug out to their alternate property. So they plan a dry run to the Bug Out property which coincidentally had a Geodesic Dome.

Their vehicle is a 2 door jeep and a small trailer. They load the chickens into a cardboard box, the tower gardens break down and they load up the trailer. They take off up the road, do some driving around a few rocks for the producers footage and then back up the road. They stop and unleash one of the heli-drones to scout the bridge up ahead to see if it’s passable. The UAV is very cool and gets great video of the area, they see it’s clear and move ahead. Once at the BOL, they set up camp at the dome.

At the forefront of his preps seem to be the UAV’s. He has two that we saw but I would guess more than those. He equipped one with a taser of sorts to shock anyone messing with it. Then he takes another and has the idea to put a package with parachute, that he can fill with medical supplies and deliver them to his neighbors. He comes up with a max payload of supplies of 5oz. They work to get pair of Nitrile gloves, gauze and essential oils. They work out a parachute and wala, you have a delivery service ahead of Amazon.

They both believe in alternate ways of medicine and use essential oils for a lot of that. Well, so do I and they are outstanding. Trying to help your neighbors by seeing damage and needs from the air, are great aspirations. His main fear of the New Madrid is that aspect known as Liquefaction. That is when the soil becomes more quicksand than soil and houses just buckle  and either sink or are severely damaged. He plans on helping if he can but going to bug out location…..

The GOOD and the BAD:

The GOOD:

• 4 months of food stored
• Water catchment system
• Vertical Gardens
• Chickens for food
• Defensive firearms and ammo
• Bug out Location  BOL
• Family onboard

The BAD:

• Need more food stored
• Water storage
• More gardens
• More chickens
• Larger Trailer for the bugout
• No energy stored

LESSONS LEARNED:

• David has so many things going the right way, the basics for sure. Food production, water storage, animals, BOL to name the few. These are the essentials that will be needed for any event.
• The one item missing is Energy. In any event, this is usally one that is lost, power. Solar power and battery storage is the missing link for essentials. Anyone who is tech heavy has to take this in to consideration. This is something I would do before the dome at my BOL.
• The BOL. Storage at that location is essential. When you leave what you have, you need to have more where you are going. The water catchment and storage along with food storage should be there as well. I would think about a conex that could be shelved with items needed during a long term evac. These should be in place before the ground turns to snot.
• Drones. I love the idea of these, not sure how practical. If you watch videos of UAV’s, they are noisy. One thing you may not want to compromise is OPSEC. If ya fly one of those, you probably will. They may not know exactly where you are but they will know you are there. That may invite unwanted attention. But if it’s used to help neighbors through a flood or other event, they could really help save lives.
• Packages from the drone army. I don’t think this is realistic. For instance, how do you know what medical supplies are needed. Probably gauze, steristrips, sissors, medical tape and such, all to heavy to transport. You can use them with a pad and pencil to pass info or help communicate with those that you cannot hear or get to.
• If liquefaction occurs, you will probably loose the vehicles, so what’s Plan B?